揥hat about you? Am I the woman of your dreams??
Clifford shook his head without hesitation. 揧ou are gorgeous and intelligent, but I have a feeling you have a manipulative streak and you are a very good liar which is never a good base for a marriage.?
Ouch. Of course, he was right. If I wanted something I could be manipulative, and that I was a good liar was out of the question. Both were helpful talents in a world as harsh as the mafia, especially if you were a Capo抯 daughter, but they weren抰 very helpful in a marriage.
He continued unfazed, 揃ut I enter our marriage without baggage.?
揇on抰 worry about my baggage.?I hopped off the bed. 揇o you need anything??
Clifford seemed to find my question strange. 揧ou抮e the first person who asked. My father only told me how we had to handle the situation. Thanks.?
揧ou抮e welcome.?I hesitated. 揑抣l try to be a good wife, Clifford.?
揂nd I抣l try to be a good husband. Maybe next time I抣l take a bullet for you.?
I gave him a tight smile, my thoughts drifting back to the man who had taken not just one but three bullets for me.
I left. I didn抰 allow my thought to linger on Santino. We all would do what was best for the future of our families and the Outfit.
When Mom woke me the next morning, I knew something bad had happened.
揥hat is it??I asked, stumbling out of bed, sleepy and disoriented. I抎 dreamed I was back in Paris, lying in Santino抯 arms.
Mom touched my shoulder, her eyes softening. 揝antino suffered a sepsis and they had to put him in an artificial coma.?
My whole world shattered. 揥ill he be all right??
揟he doctors can抰 say right now. They抮e doing their best.?
I felt hollow, especially because my body could still feel his ghost touch from my dream. 揑 should go see him.?
Mom touched my arm. 揈nzo called to inform us about Santino抯 state and he asked to give him and his family space. He wanted me to tell you that you should focus on wedding preparations as that抯 what Santino would have wanted.?
揧eah,?I said quietly. 揌e抯 probably right.?
Santino抯 family wanted me to give Santino free, to move on. I had to honor their wish. They knew Santino, and if my visit would only cause him turmoil and endanger him waking up then I had to be selfless. Santino deserved happiness.
I was disoriented as shit when I opened my eyes. My vision was murky and my surroundings unfamiliar, but I recognized the sound of a hospital, the familiar beeping I抎 heard when I抎 visited fellow Made Men after they抎 gotten injured on the job.
揝onny,?Dad said. I turned my head slowly. He sat beside me, looking as shit as I felt. His gray-brown beard had crossed the border to scruffy. Behind him Frederica rose from a chair, her nun frock wrinkled and she wasn抰 wearing her veil for once.
揌ey Dad, hey Freddy, you look as shitty as I feel.?Hearing my own voice made me wince. It was rough and scratchy, as if I hadn抰 used it in a long time.
Frederica approached my bed and kissed my forehead as if I were a small kid. When she didn抰 correct me for not using her official new nun name, I knew things were bad.
I searched the rest of the room. 揥here抯 Anna? Is she safe??
Dad looked down at his hands. His fingernails could use a trimming too. 揘ot here. She抯 perfectly safe, don抰 worry about her.?
I tried to sit up but my body punished the attempt with a wave of nausea and dizziness.
揑 have to see her,?I got out. 揘ow.?
I抎 tell her every fucking thing I felt for her, how when my life had flashed before my eyes, every moment had been one I抎 spent with her, and when I抎 dreamed about my future when I抎 been drugged it had been at her side. I wouldn抰 let her marry Clifford. I didn抰 care if I had to kill him but she wouldn抰 marry him. She wouldn抰 marry anyone but me. I didn抰 care how long I抎 have to talk to her to get it into her stubborn head but eventually she抎 agree.
Dad and Frederica exchanged a look, one I hated and rarely was on the receiving end of, pity.
揥hat抯 going on??I asked. My throat was impossibly scratchy and dry. Even after a bad night of partying, I抎 never felt like this. I reached for my throat and felt a bandage around my throat. I froze. 揥as I in a coma??
Dad nodded. 揧ou suffered sepsis shortly after your surgery. You had several bullet wounds. They had to remove your spleen.?
I forced my body into a sitting position even though I almost passed out. Dad stood and quickly adjusted the bed so I could lean against the cushions. 揌ow long was I gone??
Dad sighed. Judging from his beard and nails, it was definitely more than a week, maybe even close to two. Fuck.
揇ad??
揟wo weeks and two days.?
I blinked. 揥hat day is it??